Filtermist increases specialist LEV resource with more BOHS accredited certifications

By Filtermist Limited
schedule10th Oct 16

Two employees at leading industrial air filtration and extraction specialist Filtermist have increased the company’s in-house LEV System Design and LEV Testing capabilities by successfully completing the P601 and P602 certification process.

Former Service and Spares Coordinator Matt Wall has been promoted to Sales Engineer (LEV and Service) having completed P601 - Thorough Examination and Testing of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems. Meanwhile Design and Technical Engineer, Elliot Webb, has recently passed his P601 and P602 – Basic Design Principles of LEV Systems.

As well as manufacturing and installing its own range of compact oil mist filters, Filtermist also offers a number of other products and services designed to ensure the air in industrial workplaces is free from contaminants and safe to breathe.

The ISO9001 accredited company recognises the importance of upskilling its workforce in order to support the business’ ongoing growth, as HR Manager Ian Reece, explains, “Identifying training requirements is a key part of our regular employee appraisals to ensure all of our staff are equipped with the skills needed both for their own personal development and the wider business needs.”

LEV system design and testing is a significant part of Filtermist’s UK business. As a distributor for sister company Absolent AB, Filtermist offers a comprehensive service to effectively remove oil mist, oil smoke, dust and fume extraction from workplace air using both standalone filtration units and centralised extraction systems.

Managing Director James Stansfield says, “Filtermist has manufactured and supplied LEV systems for almost 50 years, so has extensive experience in this field.

“It is all very well installing an extraction system to remove airborne contaminants from the workshop, but we regularly meet manufacturers who don’t realise the importance of regular testing to ensure the system is working as intended. If performance is impeded in any way, employers are not only endangering their workers - they’re also breaking the law.”

CoSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations state that most LEV systems should be tested by a competent person at least once every 14 months.

The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) accredited proficiency modules are designed to ensure professionals working with Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) understand and are able to demonstrate best practice in a number of areas including workplace control principles, performance evaluation of ventilation systems, health and safety, and producing CoSHH compliant reports.

Matt and Elliot undertook the accreditation process under the guidance of Bill Cassells, a former HSE Inspector and Chartered Engineer with more than 30 years’ experience in the LEV industry. Bill’s company OXYL8 Ltd offers a range of BOHS accredited courses covering all aspects of LEV and he previously trained one of Filtermist’s other LEV specialists – Jamie Allen.

More details on LEV systems and associated testing requirements can be found by visiting http://www.hse.gov.uk/lev/index.htm. Please go to www.filtermist.co.uk to find out how Filtermist can ensure your business stays CoSHH compliant.